The present invention relates to a remanufacturing method for a process cartridge. Here, the process cartridge is a cartridge containing as a unit an electrophotographic photosensitive member and charging means, developing means or cleaning means, the cartridge being detachably mountable to a main assembly of the image forming apparatus. Or, the process cartridge may contain an image bearing member at least one of charging means, developing means and cleaning means, the process cartridge being detachably mountable to the main assembly of the image forming apparatus. Furthermore, the process cartridge may contain at least the electrophotographic photosensitive drum and the developing means.
The image forming apparatus may be an electrophotographic copying machine, an electrophotographic printer (LED printer, a laser beam printer or the like), an electrophotographic facsimile machine, an electrophotographic word processor or the like.
In the field of an image forming apparatus using an electrophotographic image forming process, a process cartridge is used which contains as a unit an electrophotographic photosensitive member and process means actable on said electrophotographic photosensitive member, the cartridge being detachably mountable to the main assembly of the apparatus. Such a process cartridge can be maintained in effect by the user without a serviceman, and therefore, the operativity is remarkably improved. Therefore, the process cartridge type machines are widely used in the field of the image forming apparatus.
The process cartridge forms an image on the recording material using a developer. With the image forming operations, the developer is consumed. When the developer has been consumed to such an extent that image of a quality satisfactory to the user of the process cartridge cannot be formed, the commercial value as the process cartridge is lost.
An easy remanufacturing method for process cartridges is desired by which the process cartridge having lost its commercial value due to consumption of the developer regain the commercial value.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide an easy remanufacturing method for a process cartridge.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a remanufacturing method for a process cartridge to refresh a process cartridge having lost its commercial value due to consumption of the developer therein to such an extent that images of the quality satisfactory to the user cannot be formed, back to an extent of sufficient commercial value.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a remanufacturing method for a process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, comprising (a) a frame separating step of separating a process cartridge into a lower frame member having an electrophotographic photosensitive drum, a developing roller for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum and a cleaning blade for removing a developer remaining on the photosensitive drum, and an upper frame having a charging roller for electrically charging the photosensitive drum and a developer accommodating portion for accommodating a developer to be used for developing the electrostatic latent image; (b) a photosensitive drum dismounting step of dismounting the photosensitive drum from the lower frame member by removing from the lower frame member a supporting member provided at one and the other longitudinal ends of the photosensitive drum; (c) a developing roller dismounting step of dismounting the developing roller from the lower frame member; (d) a magnetic seal sticking step of sticking magnetic seals on the lower frame member along a direction crossing with a longitudinal direction of the developing roller such that they are opposed to parts of a peripheral surface of the developing roller, and are disposed at one and the other longitudinal end of the developing roller, respectively, when the developing roller is mounted to the lower frame member; (e) an elastic member sticking step of sticking a blade elastic member at each of one and the other longitudinal ends of a developing blade on its backside which is opposite from a side opposed to the developing roller, the developing blade being effective to regulate the amount of the developer deposited on the peripheral surface of the developing roller; (f) a developing roller mounting step of mounting the developing roller onto the lower frame member; (g) a photosensitive drum mounting step of mounting the photosensitive drum to the lower frame member by inserting the photosensitive drum into the lower frame member and mounting the supporting member to an outside of the lower frame member at the one and other longitudinal end; (h) a developer filling step of refilling the developer into the developer accommodating portion in the upper frame; and (i) a frame coupling process of connecting an upper frame into which the developer has been refilled with a lower frame member having the blade elastic member on the backside of the developing blade, the magnetic seal, the developing roller and the photosensitive drum which have been remounted.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon a consideration of the following description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.